Got My Thutty-Thutty Back!

[TXGunNut]

Not the same one, actually, just a nice clean 336W in 30-30 (circa 2008) to replace one I foolishly traded off a few months back. Has a tiny bit of surface rust and a few little dings but it's a solid 95% gun. Action is tight and smooth, bore looks new and trigger is actually quite good.
Thought I'd lost her for a moment, I snagged her off the rack outside the Gun Library and stashed her in a corner while I fondled a few older 94's and when I got ready to haggle on her she was gone! We figured someone else had a good eye for Marlins but we searched the gun racks anyway, nowhere to be found. :sad: Was a bit disappointed but I figured it was my fault, messing with the eye candy while a good solid rifle was ready to follow me home. Finally found her in the rack outside the office, my earlier disappointment kinda weakened my bargaining position but they gave me the price I wanted anyway. :bigsmyl2:
She ain't much to look at but someone will want a picture, not too big on the gold-painted trigger but she'll do.




81257

[monge]

great find enjoy the quality Had to pry my hands off a guide gun in 450marlin the other day almost followed me home!

[mikeym1a]

Appears it's what you wanted, so, It's a BIG DEAL! Congrats!

[TXGunNut]

Sorry about the pic quality, seems to have cleaned up OK. Surface rust responded well to OOOO steel wool and a little CLP.
Monge- If you like big bore leverguns you won't be happy until you have a Guide Gun. I think the 45-70 is the better choice but I like to keep my brass investment low and the supply easy to find.
You're right, Mikeym1a, I've been looking for this gun since I traded off the other one. Thanks. Had scope issues with the other one, blamed it on the rifle. This one has the buckhorn rear sight with a little notch at the bottom, my old eyes use this type sight almost as well as a peep. If it doesn't work out I have a couple of Marble peep sights on the shelf.

[Lefty SRH]

I'd like to find another 336 in 35 Remmy here locally, I like the caliber....I enjoy my inaccurate (it has its "built in" problems LOL) 1977 model 35 Remmy. Today was the 2nd time I hunted her.

[w5pv]

I heard one called thutty-thutty in years brings back fond memories of some of the old East Texas talk I use to hear.

[Lead Fred]

The last two rifles Ill own will be the 30 WCF 1949 Winnie, and the 45/70 Marlin 2002.
Everything else is exspendable

[nekshot]

looks great, it will never get old as only person who appreciates marlin would know!

[TXGunNut]

I'd like to find another 336 in 35 Remmy here locally, I like the caliber....I enjoy my inaccurate (it has its "built in" problems LOL) 1977 model 35 Remmy. Today was the 2nd time I hunted her.

A little while back I stumbled across a very nice 336 in 35 Rem after years of casually looking for one. A few months later one just as nice showed up on the same used gun rack and I almost bought it to have a spare. Only reason I passed was the first one is a very good gun.

[TXGunNut]

looks great, it will never get old as only person who appreciates marlin would know!

Thanks, photo doesn't do it justice. My other 30-30 is a minty Trapper and I can't bring myself to shoot it, mostly because I prefer shooting Marlins.

[jh45gun]

Shoot it! It needs to be used. :)

[TXGunNut]

Shoot it! It needs to be used. :)

The Trapper? Maybe someday. There's another one in 45 Colt that never gets out either. They're mostly eye candy or decorations for big dinners at the house. I prefer shooting my Marlins. I think the 30-30 is actually a pretty good shooter, honestly can't say about the 45 Colt.
You're probably right, I have no heirs that are much interested in guns so I might as well shoot them all, including the minty ones.
Boolits are cast and the ammo's loaded, too bad I'm busy this weekend. :sad:

[Four Fingers of Death]

Shoot em' all, not going to make much difference to them either way, especially if no heirs to take them over.

I have a 1975 vintage Marlin 336 and a 1962 (I think, definitely pre 64)94 Winchester in 30/30. I was about to sell the pre 64 off to raise funds, but I think I may be able to tough it out. Hope so.

Good find.

[Dan Cash]

You have a handsome rifle. If the gold trigger offends, follow Biblical advice and remove it or at least the fake gold plating. I don't care for that stuff either as it looks cheap.

I agree with others regarding your Trapper, shoot it.

[Four Fingers of Death]

As far as the gold trigger goes, just ignore it for a year or so and you will probably forget about it. Gold triggers have been a part of Marlins for a long time, so even though they look a bit strange, they are correct.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

That would have been a heck of a loss.... Sir, good for you , just keep shooting cast boolits and all will be well. Semper Fi

[TXGunNut]

81668



Was re-installing the scope on my 35 and just couldn't resist a group picture. Getting to be a nice little family, Guide Gun on the bottom.

[TXGunNut]

Finally getting around to this rifle again, hard to believe its been in the stable for over two years. Thought it was having optics issues last week (Bushnell red dot) because it would barely stay on the target @ 50 yds. Load was 16grs 2400 under a RD/NOE PB 311-165. Bore was pretty badly leaded the last 3-4 inches. This boolit has conventional lube grooves and I was using BAC lube. Normally I'd suspect lube failure but didn't seem to be the case. Chambering was a bit difficult but last night I found most of the cases were in need of trimming. The nose was a bit tight for this bore but I didn't think that would hurt accuracy.
Took a SWAG at it last night at the loading bench, loaded ten of the RD boolits over 10grs Unique and another ten of a NOE 311041 GC clone (my first group buy!) also over 10 grs Unique. RD group at 50 was a bit improved but still a solid 5" or so with a flier or two. Then I fired the 311041 rounds and it was like a totally different gun! Groups were well under 2", about as well as I do with a dot sight. Rifle seemed to stay a bit cooler with the Unique powder; never did heat up in 20 rounds. (Upper 50's ambient temp)
I was really hoping to get this rifle to shoot the PB boolits for a low cost plinker but I guess this ol' girl isn't a cheap date after all. Bore was clear after the 311041's so I guess that's what she'll get, GC's and all. Looking at the boolits beside each other on the bench it's hard to believe a rifle could shoot one well and shoot the other one so miserably. I guess that's what makes this game interesting for me.

[northmn]

I have a 35 Remington R model I like and have used, but sometimes wish it was a 30-30. Hard to beat a good 30-30 but I like them with a 24 inch barrel like on the model R. Don't see them much. 30-30 will do about anything I want a deer rifle to do locally and I sometimes consider selling my 32-20 and 357 rifles and getting another 30-30 just to keep to shoot lighter loads where I carry those two.

DEP

[TXGunNut]

Can't say I've seen an R model but I like the sounds of it....but quite honestly you had me at "35 Remington". Awesome CB hunting cartridge. I'm not actually a big 30-30 fan, I just wanted something cheap and fun to shoot. Come to think of it, I probably would have done better with a 357 for this project. I have a few 32-20's, hope you don't sell yours. I think it's a really cool cartridge and you'll probably regret it.
You'll come across a decent 30-30 some day if you keep an eye out. Seems I've had at least one for quite some time but other cartridges interest me more. Don't get me wrong, it's a great cartridge with a fascinating history. Must admit, tho, this project has been fun and enjoyable. I might just change my opinion of the "thutty-thutty" yet. ;-)

[Clay M]

I really like the .30/30 . I always had good luck with it. I killed my first deer with the Marlin, and my son also killed his first deer with the rifle.
The nice long neck makes it a natural for cast bullets.

[northmn]

Looked at it again and it says G under the lever not R. Been a nice old rifle. Haven't been too anxious to get rid of it. 32-20 has been a fun little rifle. Had less hassle with it than the 38/357 as it worked well out of the box. Already D&T for a receiver sight. For use I also now have a Henry 22 mag which does the same job without reloading. While some think reloading is a great pass time I find its sometimes nice just to have a rifle that I don't need to bother with it. 30-30 kind of fits there also. I guess I could mess around and play at the bench and compare loads until I found something superior to the factory loads, but the factory loads have worked well enough so I don't much care. I do like the 30-30 for cast bullets and have found teh ones with standard rifling to be about the biggest no-brainers for loading. Soem get good results with MG but with A 94 Winchester or a Ballard rifled Marlin you can feed it about any reasonable combo and it shoots.

DP

[Shawlerbrook]

Northmn, You need a Marlin 336A. A 30 30 with a 24" barrel. They are around and can be found.

[TXGunNut]

30-30 kind of fits there also. I guess I could mess around and play at the bench and compare loads until I found something superior to the factory loads, but the factory loads have worked well enough so I don't much care.-Northmn

For the longest time I didn't load for the 30-30, was paying $6-7/box and figured a levergun didn't merit my loading efforts anyway. Well, that cheap ammo is all gone and when I started casting boolits awhile back I thought it might be fun to give it a try. I have a minty 70's Trapper and a nice enough pre-64 carbine around here somewhere that don't get out much, may have to see if they like the RD/NOE boolit.

[TXGunNut]

Project rifle shot pretty well yesterday with the 311-041 over 10grs Unique, just can't get it to like that PB boolit. Just remembered I have another 30-30 around here somewhere, a late pre-64 safe queen. If I can't get the Marlin to shoot that PB boolit maybe I'll take a couple of safe queens to the range.